How will you be travelling to Congress 2022? Have you thought about taking the train?
08 March, 2022
We are so excited to finally be able to meet again in-person at this year’s International Congress which will be held in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) from Monday 20 – Thursday 23 June 2022. With excellent transport links, getting to the EICC from overseas or within the UK has never been easier.
In line with the College’s position on Sustainability we would like to encourage our delegates to think about the environmental impact on their travel. Where possible we are inviting all delegates to travel by train (We do appreciate that this is not always possible - especially for our international delegates) and are thrilled to be able to offer exclusive discounts to those delegates choosing to travel via the LNER rail network. See the bottom of this page for more information.
Edinburgh has two railway stations:
- Waverley Station, which is 1.3 miles from EICC, is the city's main railway station and has direct routes to many cities across the country, including over 25 daily departures from London.
- Haymarket Station, which is just 0.4 miles from EICC. Please ensure that you check with your rail network provider to find out if your train will stop at Haymarket or Waverley.
Still not sure train travel is for you? Keep reading for our top five reasons why you should take the train to Edinburgh this summer.
Join the fight against climate change
Travel emissions can be reduced by as much as 95% per passenger when switching from flight to train. Aviation accounts for around 2.5% of global carbon emissions and is now one of the fastest growing contributors to climate change. Of all the things we humans do, flying is the most carbon intense activity per minute.
Travel from centre to centre
Train travel is often regarded as a more time-consuming method of transport, particularly in comparison with air travel, but many of us often forget to account for the time taken to reach the airport! Take the rail journey from London to Edinburgh as an example: it takes just over 4 hrs! As does the journey from Birmingham and it is an impressive 2 hrs30 from York! If you add in travel to and from the airport, flying isn’t any faster than taking the train.
Embrace the (sometimes) added journey time
Although taking the train is often not as time consuming as flying, we'd encourage you to make the most of the opportunity and switch off from the outside world. We all know the well-being benefits from having some away from your computer, so why not use your train journey as a wonderful excuse to wind down. Unlike plane travel there is also the chance to stretch your legs on your way to the food cart, all whilst taking in the beautiful countryside you’re travelling through too!
Not one for switching off? Take advantage of the train amenities
Unlike air travel, a train journey provides opportunities for making calls, responding to emails and having meetings whilst in transit. No flight-mode, just reliable mobile phone coverage and almost all modern trains now have plug-sockets at your seat.
Save money
If you want to secure some cheap train tickets to Edinburgh, there are several convenient methods you can make use of. Why not consider? :
- Getting a Railcard: Save up to 1/3 for a whole year
- Book tickets in advance: Scotrail, LNER, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and TransPennine Express usually release tickets 12 weeks in advance
- Travel Off-Peak: Tickets are usually cheaper during quieter times on weekdays and weekends
We are also thrilled to share with you this unique link that will give all RCPsych delegates 20% off all LNER fares to and from Edinburgh.*
To access this discount please open up this webpage and insert the promo code: RCP2022
*Please note that the discount will only be applied on journeys searched for between: 19 June 2022 – 24 June 2022 and will only be applied to routes laid out on the LNER route map e.g. York - Edinburgh.
Blog Author
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Congress team